ENRIQUE

FLOREZ (1701-1773)  , Spanish historian, was born at Valladolid on the 14th of February 1701 . In his fifteenth year he entered the order of St Augustine, was afterwards professor of theology at the university of Alcala, and published a Cursus theologiue in five volumes (1732-1738) . He afterwards devoted himself to historical studies . Of these the first-fruit was his Clave Historial, a work of the same class as the French Art de verifier les dates, and preceding it by several years . It appeared in 1743, and passed through many editions . In 1747 was published the first volume of EspanaSagrada, teatrogeografecohistorico de la Iglesia de Espana, a vast compilation of Spanish ecclesiastical history which obtained a European reputation, and of which twenty-nine volumes appeared in the author's lifetime . It was continued after his death by Manuel Risco and others, and further additions have been made at the expense of the Spanish government . The whole work in fifty-one volumes was published at Madrid (1747-1886) . Its value is considerably increased by the insertion of ancient chronicles and documents not easily accessible elsewhere . Florez was a good numismatist, and published Medallas de las Colonias in 2 vols . (1757-1758), of which a third volume appeared in 1773 . His last work was the Memorias de las reynas Catolicas, 2 vols .

(x770) . Florez led a retired, studious and unambitious

life, and died at Madrid on the loth of August 1773 . See F . Mendez, Noticia de la vida y escritos de Henrique Florez (Madrid, 178o) .